Planet: Eteran, Ruins of Eastpoint

First Insurgency War

MERYN

Out of everywhere we could meet, why does he want to meet here?

Where it ended and began all at once.

He flew over the ashen ruins long abandoned by fire and brimstone. Warmth swept through his ship and into his veins. He kept his gaze locked on the present and not on the past inferno.

Buildings turned to scorched black and melted concrete — condemned by the Sanctum, no one wanted to touch the once small, but bustling town once they cleaned it of what he assumed was utter terror. Nasty rumours spread, but no one had the true scope of what happened.

He never shared the experience with anyone else and never wanted to feel the fire on his heels again.

He floated above the Falae estate and landed in the backyard beside Rayan's scout.

"Celestials." Meryn hopped out of his ship and back into the familiar grass of a childhood. "I don't understand why you chose this place."

Rayan paced on the patio.

That can't be a good sign. Meryn rushed to meet him. "It's been a long time since we've been here, hasn't it?" His attempt to ease the tension was met with silence, and he waited while Rayan opened the door with a cautious twist. He pushed it with his forearm, body tense and ready for action with a free hand on one of the blasters on his belt.

Is he expecting company? Meryn raised an eyebrow. I don't think he's going to find anything except dust and cobwebs. He stuck close to Rayan when they ventured inside. Layers of dirt stuck between the floorboards, and Meryn brushed his boot against it. "You really need to clean—"

"Welcome home, Mr. Falae," the SAI spoke through a frizzy connection. "It has been approximately — two quadrums."

Meryn caught Rayan when he leaped back into him with a yelp. Fists locked, he supported his friend when his knees buckled, chest heaving.

"It's the house, Ray," Meryn pointed out. Rayan reached for the security panel and brushed the layer of dirt off of it. Lights bloomed to life through the corridor and the SAI fell quiet. Disembodied voices gone, Rayan pushed himself off Meryn and brushed himself off. "Why are you jumpy? I don't think anyone's here."

Rayan sighed, then led him to the basement door and right to the artistry dome. Never really been in here a lot... Meryn examined the space of frozen moments of a perfect time, before fire and brimstone. Cobwebs accumulated under the desks and dust splattered across the paintings across the room.

Rayan wandered over to the workbench, brushing off dust bunnies to press his hand against the unfinished collage of painted pictures. His fingers found a picture of James and Rayan both. Before his friend's eyes turned crimson. Meryn frowned when Rayan rested his back against the workbench, then sank to the floor to cup the frozen picture. "You're going to want to sit down."

Meryn sat cross-legged with him. I haven't seen him like this.

Rayan brought the picture close to his face and hid behind it with a shuddered breath.

"I mean," Meryn started. "If we're going to be here a while, I can go pick up some food."

Rayan eyed him, then returned his attention to the picture before resting his head on the edge of the table leg while he brushed the frozen moment of James with his thumb. "Where's Aelius' hospital?"

Meryn folded his arms. "Why?"

"I know his life is in danger," Rayan said. "I need to know where he is — or at least where he's working."

"He's surrounded by Sanctum soldiers," Meryn explained. "What's going on, Ray? Give me more than that."

Rayan tightened his grip on the picture, where it crumbled into paper thin edges. "Look, Matthey," he said. "Whatever you think I've become, I'm trying to protect your brother."

"Again, I say, give me more than that."

His grip loosened on the picture, holding it tight in his fingers before he spoke, "The Sanctum created a bio-weapon and they've lost control of it. It's why they set up all those quarantines. I don't know what they created, but it's fast and it's learning."

Meryn hesitated and tumbled Rayan's vague words through his mind and searched for the deception. "What does that have to do with Aelius?"

A shaky breath escaped Rayan's lips. "I-I don't know how to say this," he rasped. "All you have to know is the Insurgency knows about the bio-weapon — they believe Aelius may have information on it, and you can't forget his healing abilities."

Meryn wasn't listening to his words, but his tone of voice — the way someone's speech changed to convey a deeper meaning. "Last I talked to him he was in Odaport for business. He should be back on Eteran soon..." He hesitated, then frowned and placed a hand on his knee. "I'm sorry, Ray. I won't give you his location. I know the Insurgents are hunting important targets within the Sanctum and my brother is one of them." He shook his head when despair cracked Rayan's brow. "I trust you, Ray, I do... I don't trust the people you've chosen to associate with."

"Meryn, this is important," Rayan whispered as Meryn hauled himself back to his feet. "If I knew where Aelius was I could—"

"If he's in as much danger as you say he is, the Elites can protect him."

"No!" Rayan lunged to his feet. "Meryn, you say that, but look what happened here!" He motioned at the door. "Look at what happened to Eastpoint!"

Meryn held him back with his hand. "I just need information. I'm going to do some digging of my own. If I find your warning is valid, I'll send you Aelius' location and then you can warn Aelius yourself." He clenched his fists and choked the embers. "I don't want to be involved in this war."

Utter defeat dripped down Rayan's frame when he turned back to the collage and held the picture with both hands. Word vomit threatened to spill past his lips, but Meryn kept to his word and his silence. One thing to assure Rayan. Anything. "I meant to tell you sooner, but... James is..."

Rayan tilted his head to the side without a response until he released a strained chuckle. "If you're about to tell me he's alive... I know." He sank to his knees in front of the beautiful collage of painted landscapes intertwined with James' view of the world. "But is that really living, Meryn? What have I done?" Meryn crept forward when tears filled the golds. "I... I said awful things when I saw him, when I should've reached out like I should have before, but there's no going back from what he's done to himself," he rasped and hid his face in the picture again. "I couldn't do it in the end. I couldn't stop him, and then I called him a monster when he lost everything because of me."

"Ray, what happened wasn't your fault," Meryn said and knelt down.

"I almost killed him."

Meryn leaned back when Rayan turned around with a shattered expression and held the picture close to his heart. "He attacked me, Meryn," he rasped with a faint, strangled laugh. "Just like you did, but he didn't stop. Instead of trying to subdue him, to tell him I'm still here and to be there for him... I pulled a blaster on him and shot. If he hadn't reacted... if he wasn't an Elite, that would've been it."

"Ray."

Rayan dipped his head underneath the looming shadow of the past. "I don't know what to do, Meryn."

Meryn sighed. "I think... you should get out of here. It's not healthy." He nodded at the collage. "Torturing yourself like you are."

Rayan followed his direction, then shook his head. "I was almost finished," he murmured. "I was going to give him it... his next starday. I had planned to tell him that I—"

"Ray, let's just get out of here," Meryn pushed. "I don't like being here anymore than you do. As for James." He swallowed his pain. "There's no point in dwelling on it. He's changed, he's not the James we knew. You can't unmake an Elite, Ray."

Rayan sniffed and tucked the picture in his coat. "I think I'm just too sentimental sometimes."

Sure... sentimental.

Both of them left the artist dome and out back, where Rayan faltered on the patio. "And you say James has changed."

"What do you mean?" Meryn folded his arms and held his prismkey.

"You." Rayan lowered his hands from his face where dark shadows rested underneath the red-tinted golds from his tears. "You're different from the guy I met when I first came to this town." He pinched his cheek with a haunted smile. "You've sure grown."

Meryn scoffed. "I don't know what you expected? I couldn't be that kid anymore after what happened. I'm sure wandering the streets of Odaport made you think you were a tough guy," he teased with a wiggle of his finger. "Yet, I always knew that it was just a facade."

Rayan's smile never wavered, but he turned back to the manor in useless longing. Meryn came closer. "Ray."

His friend returned his attention to the present.

"About James," he said. "I don't know what happened between you two recently. I don't know the context, but I think you both just need some time — if this war will let you." He smiled through his own difficulty. "James cared for you... a lot."

Rayan sucked in his lips and drifted. "I don't think that's still the case anymore."

"Maybe, but that still has to count for something," Meryn urged. "Because you clearly haven't changed too much, Ray." He pushed for his old friendships and what remained of the past. "Whatever happens at the end of this, next time you see James, I want you to walk up to him, smack him around a little, then give him the longest hug he's ever known. I've known James for a long time, yes, he's changed. He's made a choice he can't take back, but I refuse to believe that there's still not a part of him that's going to respond to you of all people. He pushed me away, Ray, but I know that if he reacted like that to you there's a difference. James acted like he didn't even know me."

Rayan widened his eyes. "You really believe that?"

"I do," Meryn said. "And I know James is still in there. It's like you said, he's hurt and scared. We all are. After Eastpoint..."

"I just thought he was dead," Rayan whispered and paced. "If I knew I would have—

"I'm not the one who needs to hear that," Meryn reminded him. "Remember what I said. Next time you see James, you know what to do." He clasped his fingers together then clicked his tongue. "I have to go. I got some digging to do. I swear if I find anything that makes me certain I will instantly send Aelius' location to you. Does that sound fair?"

Rayan nodded shyly.

"Good," Meryn said. "If you need anything else, let me know. Even if it's just to talk."

Rayan gave him a weak smile. "Thank you, Meryn."

"For what?" Meryn climbed onto his scout.

"For worrying and listening," Rayan said. "I respect you sticking to your guns. If I need to, I'll figure something else out."

Meryn slipped into the pilot's seat while Rayan waved him off and left him on the porch of his old home.

That was strange... I should head to Kestra and check up on Aelius. I don't think Rayan would bring us out here if he wasn't serious about it. I better get to work. He tapped his communications, and never waited long for Aelius to answer him.

"Meryn?" Aelius asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," Meryn replied. "I actually called to ask how you were doing, are you still in Odaport?"

"Yes. If you're not busy can you pick me up and take me back to Eteran?" Aelius asked. "I need a more subtle ride. I can let them know to expect your scout."

"Gotcha, heading there now."

He readied his hyperchrono accelerator. His dashboard purred with the faster refraction.

Everything stretched and molded and he breached into the coordinates.